Do you like to ride?

Guest_Guest_*

We need to find a way get the heavy metal, hard rock crowd involved in our fight for public land. More and more music videos have moto-x bikes in them. Kids our buying FOX gear at the mall and wareing it to school. I was at the Ozz Fest concert ( Ozzy Osborn ) this weekend one of the band members of one of the bands had a thor jersey on. If we could some how get someone to talk about it on MTV we could be home free. Just an idea.

Guest_Guest_*

I know that they don't ride! If we can just convince these people that it is cool to get involved. With free style MX at the X-Games and on MTV our sport is getting more popular. Most people that watch have no idea that we are in danger of loosing our right to ride. Maybe if they were made aware they may want to help.

Guest_Guest_*

Its not their fight and I don't see a bunch of baggy pants lazy kids (my experience after hiring many) fighting for anything.....Or what if it backfires and some of them decide to support the other side?....It would be nice to have more 'friends'.....But you have to look for people who have a more immediate stake in the issue....What I am surprised by is the lack of support from the hunting and outdoors groups...Because the vast majority do NOT hike 15 miles to get to their hunting spots, they drive 4 wheelers, and you know that the tree huggers don't like hunting and killing of animals anymore than they like ORV's....And we might get more support from these outdoors groups if we all had quiet bikes.....Thats why those of you who 'trail ride' with totally open mufflers are pissing me off....If I meet you on the trail you are going to hear it from me !! And its not going to be friendly !! We don't need it, and its just plain selfish and irresponsible !!

Lou*

Originally posted by DeBarker:Its not their fight and I don't see a bunch of baggy pants lazy kids (my experience after hiring many) fighting for anything.....Or what if it backfires and some of them decide to support the other side?....It would be nice to have more 'friends'.....But you have to look for people who have a more immediate stake in the issue....What I am surprised by is the lack of support from the hunting and outdoors groups...Because the vast majority do NOT hike 15 miles to get to their hunting spots, they drive 4 wheelers, and you know that the tree huggers don't like hunting and killing of animals anymore than they like ORV's....And we might get more support from these outdoors groups if we all had quiet bikes.....Thats why those of you who 'trail ride' with totally open mufflers are pissing me off....If I meet you on the trail you are going to hear it from me !! And its not going to be friendly !! We don't need it, and its just plain selfish and irresponsible !!

DeBarker totaly agree with you, Here in Australia, we have combined horse riders, four wheel drives and dirt riders in a group called "Access for all" and it gives us a leg to stand on, or a start against tree huggers anyway.

Steve_Morgan

I've been told by a friend at the CA OHV division that the radical enviro-nazis love loud bikes. It gives them that much more ammunition with the general public, where they generate most of their donations from. When asked about their "opinions" of noise levels, they say "the louder the better!". The hidden agenda of course is that it just speeds up their ongoing land closure process. If they're really pressed for their opinions on what would be an acceptable noise level, they go all the way down to 82 dBa, since they know our bikes simply won't be able to perform at that unattainable level. In CA, let's all join CORVA http://www.corva.org/, and nationally join BRC (Blue Ribbon Coalition)http://www.sharetrails.org/

Brad

I seldom respond to these politics related posts, but DeBarker has hit a nerve. Fortunately, you are not in a position to legislate my ability to "trail ride" with an open pipe. If noise is this bothersome to you, I would suggest that you limit yourself to riding areas where noise limits are strictly enforced. Otherwise, if you choose to be impolite or rude to me based on the fact that my muffler is louder than yours anywhere where there are no noise restrictions, then you my friend are the selfish and irresponsible one. If you are only opposed to loud dirt bikes due to the threat of land closures, then I recommend you focus your anger toward the idiots that are trying to close the land, not the ones who are using it. Now I'm not defending running around with an open header, and starting forest fires, but a legally spark arrested silencer, even if it is loud (by your standards) , is completely acceptable. The fact is simply that noise from motorcycles has never wiped out an endangered species, or even killed a single spotted owl. In fact, many animals are probably kept from being thumped due to the early warning that comes from noise. The only people bothered by noise are the dope smoking tree huggers who are startled and drop their bong on their Birkenstocks every time a motorcycle goes by. Unfortunately, they will be just as pissed at you on your "quiet" bike as they will be at me.

Bryan Bosch

First of all, let's not beat on Greg C. for his suggestion. At least he's thinking about the issue and how to help the cause. The bottom-line is the off-roaders need to organize, lobby, and spend some money promoting the sport. I've been to many a forest service meeting and I'll tell you that the Sierra Club is organized! They are willing to spend nights and weekends going to meetings and I know they write a monthly support check. Everyone needs to ask themselves what is their level of committment? If it is not a loud muffler they make up some other reason why we are a threat to the environment. Next it will be the brightly colored bikes are scaring the deer into eating their young!!!!!

damage_inc400

Here is my theory on how to make our cause for riding have some bite to it.

Here goes...

There are many local and regional groups all around the country, that support riding in their region, or sometime's their state. What needs to be done is a unification of these seperate groups into one national group that addresses the concerns in national forums, on the national level. This one large national group would be constructed of local chapters, which are individually responsible for the local concerns, and collectively responsible for the national concerns.

I agree that the hunter/outdoorsmen are a good avenue to ally ourselves with to further our cause.

I would like to see a national off-road group possibly merged with the NRA. This group could be call NORV-RA. (National Off Road Vehicle and Rifle Association). Since most of the people I have met riding are hunters too, this seems like a natural fit.

If we had one large national voice that lobbied congress for our cause, it would be MUCH harder to shut down and take the trails that we hold so dear.

I have thought a lot about this, and in my opinion, this is the only way to ensure our kids have areas left to ride in.

We can be heard, but we must do it with a unified voice that is too loud to ignore!!

For to take my trails and wooded areas, is to take that which I hold most dear!!

Bryan Bosch

Damage, I appreciate your suggestions however; linking with the NRA isn't going to help. Now, I'm pro guns however; there are far more people that favor gun control than ohv control. Although the groups share common interests, we do have very different agendas. We'd be better trying to gain unilateral support than an outright joining of forces. Maybe a national OHV rep. that appeals to the NRA members for our cause and a solicitation of funds. I'm going to email the NRA today to see what their stance is on OHV's and land use issues. Thanks for your suggestions. I think there are some possibilities.

Guest_Guest_*

Sorry, I don't agree with your idea of a 'new' national organization, organizations consume money and effort just by existing....... We already have 2 national organizations... the AMA and the Blue Ribbon Coal. who are working towards the goals we desire.... Just join them, support them, and help their efforts.... Go to public meetings about ORV issues when/if you can...E-mail your senators and congressman when issues are before them, better yet call them a few days before important dates when you are notified.... Just as important as all that in my opinion is keeping your bike quiet and unobjectionable (like a stock WR or KDX 200)to the general public at all times. And get your friends to do the same... isn't 4 less horsepower worth it to keep riding areas open?... especially if we all have 4 HP less, aren't we all just even again then? We are fighting against guys like Brad above... who is apparently riding "loud and proud" (Brad, if you have stock WR noise level I take that back... if you have stock YZF noise level and ride on public land, then I don't).... Brad says "its simply a fact that noise levels have never caused a species to go extinct" or something like that..... Well Brad, nobody ever said any such thing... but the species that will go extinct is US... dirtbike riders... and mostly because of noise... Read the comment by Steve Morgan... he says that the tree huggers LIKE IT when we have loud bikes... Why? Because it gets the general public to side with THEM.... We will never get the hunters and outdoorsman groups to side with us(like they should, we're in the same boat) when we ride around on public land with no concern about the quality of other peoples outdoor experiences......... During recent meetings with Depart. Nat. Resources officials over the possible ending of the 75 year history of the Jackpine AMA National Enduro here in Michigan... these officials said its not environmental damage that they are so concerned about... its the NOISE ! They get pressure from citizens and local police/sherrif's over noise and they have to respond........ I think its simple..We bother the general public-the general public bothers the DNR-the DNR says to us "we will shut you down"... We just have to get the public off the DNR's back by keeping our bikes quiet.